


Cold as Ice

by karasunovolleygays



Series: Valentine's Kisses 2020 [39]
Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Crème de Hurt et Comfort, Future Fic, M/M, Second Year Kindaichi, Third Year Yahaba, With a garnish of confession
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-11
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2021-02-27 20:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22661686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/karasunovolleygays/pseuds/karasunovolleygays
Summary: Losing one's last official match is brutal for anyone, but Yahaba blames himself for that and a whole lot more. However, Kindaichi has had enough of that nonsense.
Relationships: Kindaichi Yuutarou/Yahaba Shigeru
Series: Valentine's Kisses 2020 [39]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589239
Comments: 2
Kudos: 19





	Cold as Ice

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for my 2020 Valentine's Kisses: 39. Kissing tears from the other’s face.

The cold bites at Kindaichi’s skin as he slips into the alley behind the Sendai City Gym, and he wraps his club jacket tighter around himself to ward off the worst of it. He can’t stop — not now. 

Yahaba needs him.

He finds his captain huddled up next to the dumpster, sitting on a spread out old newspaper and shivering. Kindaichi’s nose wrinkles before he kneels next to Yahaba and sighs. “I don’t suppose I could convince you to come inside and be miserable?”

Shaking his head against his knees, Yahaba doesn’t bother looking up to shoot the idea down. 

Kindaichi doesn’t blame him. Not when Yahaba had given up his cram school sessions to continue on with volleyball, only for the team to be ousted in the second round of the Spring High Tournament. Now he has no college application padding and no Nationals, either.

Sighing, Kindaichi sits on a patch of pavement next to Yahaba that is more or less free from filth. “Fine. I’m staying here until you decide to return to civilization. If you want to talk, talk. If you don’t, then don’t.”

Silence drags on between them, but despite his rear being ice cold from the street underneath him, Kindaichi doesn’t budge. Finally, his patience is rewarded when Yahaba perches his chin up on his crossed arms. “This was all my fault,” Yahaba rasps.

Hands clenching into fists on his thighs, Kindaichi snaps, “Don’t say shit like that. You know it isn’t. It takes six guys on the court to win, and it takes six to lose.”

Yahaba closes his eyes and lets out a shuddering breath. “You don’t understand. You remember how much Oikawa-senpai worked outside of practice. I didn’t do any of that because I didn’t have the extra time. If I had just left the way I was supposed to, Manaka could’ve taken over as main setter. We both know he’s better than me.”

The root of Yahaba’s stress is much clearer to Kindaichi. That kind of guilt is something he knows very well. If anyone understands what it’s like to have an impossibly high bar and miss the mark. He’s still working through the can of worms that had caused for him.

He can’t imagine what it would be like to never get the chance to work through something like that.

Kindaichi casts an arm around Yahaba. “If we start pointing fingers at everyone who does something they think they shouldn’t because it makes them happy, we wouldn’t have time to do anything else.” He harrumphs and pops his chin on Yahaba’s shoulder. “For what it’s worth, I know I played better because you were there.”

“You don’t have to patronize me, you know.” Yahaba takes a snotty sniffle. “You should be madder at me than anyone. Your first tournament as the ace and I fucked it all up.”

With a snort, Kindaichi smacks the back of Yahaba’s head. “I’m starting to get mad at you right now, and it has nothing to do with volleyball. Nobody gets to rag on the guy I like. Not even him.”

Yahaba jolts upright and gawks at Kindaichi, jaw slack. “You — what?”

“I —” Kindaichi kisses a tear track from Yahaba’s cheek. “— like —” And another. “— you.” His mouth’s journey ends at Yahaba’s lips, and Yahaba throws himself into it hungrily. Hands push into Kindaichi’s hair, which crackles on contact from frozen over sweat laced through it. However, the chill that it sends down his spine has nothing to do with being cold.

Wrenching his mouth away, Kindaichi rests his forehead against Yahaba’s. “I’m sorry we didn’t all do better, but it wasn’t your fault. Stop blaming yourself or I’m gonna kick your ass.”

“Hey, don’t make promises you aren’t gonna keep.” Yahaba wriggles in place and shudders next to Kindaichi. “Speaking of ass, mine is freezing. I’ll go back inside if you sit with me on the bus home.”

A smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, Kindaichi says, “Deal.”

They meander back into the building, both of their skins burning from the temperature difference, but a new warmth has sprung up between them that will melt it all away. Not right away, but soon, gradually,  _ finally. _


End file.
